Free Simple Games for Small Family Reunions

Egg Toss

• The egg toss is a picnic and party favorite that children as young as 2 to grandparents in their 80s can enjoy. Divide the family into teams of two. Purchase enough raw eggs for each team and enough of the same sized spoons for each participant. This game is best played outside since eggs will fall and crack on the ground.

  Have the teams stand, facing each other, two to three feet apart. Accommodate family members in wheel chairs and have their team member sit across from them so that their throw is level. All team members on one side get an egg and gently toss it to their team member without having it break. Your team is out of the game if your egg falls. Everyone who catches their egg takes on big step backward from each other and tosses their egg. Repeat these steps until you have one team with an unbroken egg.

Family Trivia Game

• Uncover unknown facts about family members and see if the group can guess who it is. Call various relatives before the reunion and ask them to give you five unknown or obscure facts about another relative. Ask for silly or interesting facts such as finding out that grandma can stick her entire fist in her mouth or that Aunt Bonnie can do a back flip. Be sure you aren't revealing any serious family secrets that the family doesn't want anyone to know.

  Write your facts on note cards and include the answer on the back. Play the game like "Who Am I" after you've delivered your initial clue. Let the group ask yes and no questions and exclude the person who gave you the answer in that round.

Cleanup Scavenger Hunt

• A fun way to get everyone to pitch in with cleanup at the end of your reunion is a cleanup scavenger hunt. This is a great game to get the younger family members involved so be sure the tasks are easy and realistic.

  Make a list of items that need to be picked up or put away. Give the list to every family member and a pen to check off items as you find it. You can't take things off the shelf or out of the trash for it to count on your list; you must find it in the cleanup mess. Include items such as recycling empty two-liter bottles, wrapping up bowls of food and placing them in a refrigerator and bringing plates into the kitchen, near the sink. You could also add sweeping and vacuuming to the list if you host your party at home. Give the person who does the most a prize.